Solving Community Challenges depend on us!

I attended the first National General Assembly of Junior Chamber International (JCI) Cameroon this past weekend in Bamenda, my home city. The general assembly is a forum where JCI members meet, report on local activities, benefit from training opportunities, socialize and above all do something positive in the community that hosts them.

Invited to Bamenda in two capacities, first as main Trainer for the JCI Impact training and then to present I am Cameroon, the movement that engages Cameroonians to accept responsibility for the future of Cameroon. I was fired-up for a hectic Saturday.

JCI Impact is a half day training course that teaches JCI members, through Community Needs Analysis to identify community challenges and provide sustainable solutions. I had eight participants who resolved to lead a forum to collect data and propose sustainable solutions to Cameroon’s number one problem, corruption. They planned to involve the JCI Cameroon National board and push that it becomes a National JCI flagship project that will run in every local organization. This idea stemmed from the fat that during the training, I mentioned that in more than two decades of our existence in Cameroon, JCI Cameroon had nothing to lay claim as something positive influenced by the organization. It got members thinking and it is an obvious reality. A reality that pushes us to change the next couple of decades.

Later that day, I granted a 40-minute interview to RUSH FM accompanied by Takor Takor and Marius Siewe, members of JCI Cameroon and Champions of I am Cameroon. The host Mr. Fozo had pertinent questions about I am Cameroon, the movement, its philosophy, its network, conditions for membership, how it is financed and the upcoming plans. The interview was exciting given that it was done at a restaurant were ordinary citizens who came to have launch had the chance of following us live and off-air. Consequently, we enrolled two supporters who promised to help the National I am Cameroon Committee organize the official launching in Bamenda next month.

That evening, I presented I am Cameroon to JCI Members. Prior to my presentation, JCI members had been treated with a video showing images of illustrious world personalities like Mandela, Gandhi, Mother Theresa, Martin Luther King Jr., etc. And each time these pictures were displayed I observed them released happy roars as if to praise the greatness of these individuals.

I started by asking members to reflect on my observation. I Said “I noticed you clapped when the images of Mandela, Martin Luther and Gandhi were displayed”, they confirmed, I continued “Ask yourselves, will my displayed image someday raise as much euphoria?” The room went silent but a few courageous members said “yes” and then I told them I am Cameroon was inspired by an observation that more than 50 years after independence, the dreams of the founders were eluding Cameroonians. I told them, we were done waiting for someone else to fix our future and that we are taking ownership of our country. We know that nothing will change until we change ourselves. And lastly, that I Am Cameroon is a movement of citizens who believe in creating a better future for Cameroon by taking ownership and taking action. Finally that I am Cameroon gave them the chance to create as much euphoria. They marveled.

I called on them to support the movement and take action because as complicated as it may seem, the change we seek depends on us and it starts with us. I was referred to as “I am Cameroon” the rest of that night. I marveled as well!